«... those that specialize in either the thought of Augustine, the thought world of Late Antiquity, or in the history of early Christian interpretation will find this book engaging, helpful, and more than a little thought-provoking.» (Jonathan Yates, Louvain Studies)
«... this is a useful book for theological libraries and for theologians and exegetes.» (Denis Edwards, Colloquium)
Thought Clothed with Sound
Augustine’s Christological Hermeneutics in "De doctrina Christiana
von Tarmo ToomThe present study discusses the symbiotic relationship between Augustine’s hermeneutical insights and Christology. It focuses on the first three books of De doctrina Christiana in their given sequence. Since Augustine’s hermeneutics implies a Christological epistemology, the author approaches De doctrina Christiana through Augustine’s early epistemological treatises Contra Academicos and De Magistro. The former defends the possibility of certain knowledge, and the latter explains how this knowledge is gained through the illuminative activity of the Inner Teacher. The work also integrates linguistic signification in ancient philosophy which prepares the ground for understanding Augustine’s ‘science of signs’ and the fundamental Christological analogy in doc. Chr. 1.13. This study exemplifies that Augustine’s whole semiotic system is constructed around the fundamental Sign, the humanity of Christ, which in its hypostatic union with the divine nature enables one to know God through Christ the human being.